Music

Puerto Rican rapper Eladio Carrión wasn’t holding back during last night’s stop of his DON KBRN tour at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. While it isn’t the first time the rapper has performed in New York City, this was his first official arena show in the city  — and he wanted it to be bigger than ever. 

Rising act Danny Towers warmed the crowd up with a medley of songs from his latest album Sinners Club which includes collaborations with Carrión on the tracks “Crush” and “ASAP.” Soon, Carrión stepped onto the stage donning a silk suit with an embroidered red dragon on the back, sidling up next to dancers who played the part of mafioso goons as they began the show with a street fight right out of a movie. 

During the two-hour performance, Carrión seemed genuinely excited to be on stage and connecting with fans. From dancing and hyping up the crowd, The singer carried an undeniable confidence and warmth which only encouraged the crowd to have a good time — even when he performed some of his more scrappier hits such as “Invencible,” “Ohtani,” “H.I.M,” “Broly,” and “Vetements.” 

This was also a bigger production for Carrión,f rom stage design to wardrobe styling to choreography. The back-up dancers captured interpretive elements of Carrión’s discography and demonstrated their skill and strength while performing gravity-defying breakdancing numbers and theatrical battle scenes. Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling screens, the retro-inspired Japanese iconography was cohesive throughout the show. Neon-pink, edgy graphics made Carrion appear as though he were on the cover of an underground Japanese magazine.

As the pyrotechnics, laser, and neon lighting brightened the arena, Carrión welcomed a string of guests and close friends to the stage, starting with Rich The Kid and Ty Dolla $ign, who performed their single “Carnival.” Throughout his set, Carrión revisited tracks from his earliest projects such as Sauce Boyz, Sen2 Kbrn Vol. 1, and Monaraca, all which dropped at the height of the pandemic and helped put his name on the map. During the second act, fellow Puerto Rican singers Justin Quiles and Lenny Tavares performed a medley, including “Conexion” and “SI SI SI SI.” Fans were given one last surprise as Young Miko joined the rapper for their joint track “AMG.” She even launched into one of her own hits, “Wassup,” before sharing a hug with Carrión.

Carrión came into the Latin trap scene during its peak era of the late 2010s. While several of the colleagues he came up with have gone on to experiment with different sounds, and a new crop of rappers, like Dei V, Omar Courtz, and VEI HABACHE, infuse the genre with their own unique twists, Carrión offers fans a reliable continuity in sound that remains fresh and authentic. During sentimental moments of the show, Carrión performed more emotionally vulnerable tracks “Paz Mental,” and thanked fans for following his journey since his Sauce Boyz (2020) days. He also took a moment to shout out his mother and father who were in attendance. All in all, it was Carrión at his purest.

Set List
“Intro”
“Invencible”
“Ohtani”
“Vetements”
“H.I.M”
“Broly”
Interlude (Dancers)
“THUNDER Y LIGHTNING” (Bad Bunny cover)
“Si La Calle Llama (Remix)”
“Heavyweight”
“Kemba Walker”
“Romeo y Julieta”
“El Reggaeton del Disco”
“100 Conmigo”
“3 AM”
“Todo o Nada”
“Paz Mental”
“Hola Cómo Vas”
“Primer Lugar”
“Me Gustas Natural”
“Flores en Anónimo”
“Coco Chanel”
“TQMQA”
“Hey Lil Mama”
“Mami”
“Midas/Gladiador”
“Conexion”
“Sisisisi”
Lost Files Video
“Ricky Bobby”
“Peso a Peso”
“Carnaval”
“Mosh Pit Muzik”
“Cómodo”
“AMG”
“Wassup”
“Betty”
“Sin Frenos”
“BZRP Music Sessions #40”
“Mbappe”